Intercultural Excellence Stole Ceremony Tomorrow

The Intercultural Excellence Stole Ceremony—held this year on Thursday, May 15—is a special occasion where we honor the current graduating class. (Flyer attached.)

The first Intercultural Excellence Stole Ceremony was established in Spring 2023, celebrating the accomplishments of that graduating class. The ceremony was created to provide an intimate space centering the unique cultural wealth and intersectional identities of our students.

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences.”
—Audre Lorde 

During the registration process prior to the ceremony, graduates are encouraged to select which stole they would like to receive. Students are able to select any stole that best represents their culture and the identity they want celebrated. Many students select more than one stole as they may have many different identities and cultures they want acknowledged. Most of the stoles are ordered from Vision Wear which boasts many different types of stoles representing different countries and identities.

Additionally, this year we are offering custom-made First Generation stoles for students as well as custom-made Native Indigenous Stoles, sponsored in partnership with the Office of Native American Outreach. The graduation stoles are an added touch to acknowledge the unique intersectional identities our graduates hold and the community that has supported them in their academic journey. 

Another new addition to the ceremony are the FGWC pins. Graduates that identify as either First Generation or Working Class (FGWC) are eligible to receive graduation pins honoring their commitment to becoming a trailblazer in their college journey. 

There will be three speakers for the ceremony. Our student speaker will be graduating senior, Shantényka Thompson ’25, the faculty speaker, Assistant Professor of Economics, Sai Madhurika Mamunuru, and alum Brandon Martínez Serrano ’24. Each will share words of encouragement to our graduates. For the third consecutive year, Associate Director for Employer Engagement and Internship Programs Nadine Stecklein will be assisting with reading the names of the students as they approach the stage to receive their stole.

Once the graduate is on the stage, they will either have President Bolton or a mentor of their choice place the stole around their shoulders. The significance of the mentors placing the cultural stole around their shoulders acknowledges the community that our graduates are from, both the Whitman community and their own chosen community. The ceremony will be a celebration of joy, reflection and authenticity. All are welcome to attend and celebrate our remarkable graduates.